There seems to be an abundance of mystery series books out right now. There is a heroine who runs a tea shop, coffee shop, knitting shop, lives in the apartment above and solves mysteries in her spare time with people who come to be your best friends as well as hers. This is one of those books, and it is very good and very entertaining. No, it is not Hemingway or Christie. But you will love it. Food, cats, engaging characters, a few entwining story lines. I highly recommend it for a weekend of sheer escape and enjoyment. You will be sorry when you finish the book and the people are no longer part of your household.

Patty (Kennett Square PA)

Heavenly Pleasures by Kerry Greenwood

Heavenly Pleasures was a delightful surprise. The story takes place in Melbourne, Australia so one must get acclimated to words and phrases that can be odd and peculiar to a reader living in the United States. However, this is a tiny glitch in the reading and very surmountable. The story revolves around Corinna...an accountant turned bread maker...and her boyfriend Daniel, her cat Horatio, her apprentice Jason and a motley assortment of quirky, odd and lovable characters who live in her neighborhood.

The book is a typical who done it...that is quite interesting...someone is injecting chili pepper sauce into gourmet chocolates...oh...there is a bombing and a sort of kidnapping and lots of mysterious characters. All of this is far from the best part of the book which is the delightful infusion of kitty characters...this was all such a wonderful reading romp for me...if you love cats you will adore this book. Just one more thing about this book...you will crave freshly baked bread for about a week after reading it...this book is a delightful must read!!!

Carol (Isle MN)

Mystery in chocolate

What could be better than warm bread, divine chocolate and quirky friends? Kerry Greenwood's Heavenly Pleasures contains them all; plus more. I always enjoy a book that leaves me with the feeling that I have gotten to know the characters and want to spend more time with them. Corinna Chapman and her fellow residents in their apartment complex, Insula, fit that bill for me.

The mystery plots seemed almost secondary to the lives of the characters, but did keep a thread through out the book. And, at least to me, was not completely predictable. I'm drawn to read the first of this series, but did not feel 'lost' by not having read the first book.

I would definitely categorize this as a fun 'escape' mystery. It was fun to visit Melbourne and be introduced to an interesting group of characters. And the recipes at the end are a fun bonus.

Vy (Phoenix AZ)

Heavenly Pleasures

If you like the following--cats, food, and romance-- you’ll love Heavenly Pleasures as author Kerry Greenwood combines her fascination with all of the above into a “gentle” mystery. I say gentle because even though someone is trying to sabotage the local chocolate shop, Heavenly Pleasures, by injecting chili into the violet cream chocolates and mysterious tenants are moving into Corinna Chapman’s apartment complex, the setting for this story is so charming and inviting, one reads not just to solve the mystery but to spend more time with these delightful characters.

Who could not like Corrina, an overweight and self-proclaimed frump who lives above the bakery she loves, aptly named Earthly Delights. Or her sweet and handsome Israeli lover, Daniel, who calls her Ketschele (Yiddish for kitten). As Corrina says, “No one ever called me kitten before. Fat women don’t attract diminutives”. Or Jason, the young recovering drug addict she hires who creates sinful baked goods (do not read this book while hungry) or the anorexic models or the Wiccan witch. Mix in a few eccentric tenants and you have the makings of community that dishes up a delicious concoction of personalities. Add the following: Hector, Lucifer, Horatio, Heckle, and The Mouse Police, just a few of the furry felines who hang out in Calico Alley whose antics entertain throughout the story, but more importantly reveal the compassionate nature of Corrina.

Although the setting is Melbourne, Australia, it reminded me of another mystery series on the other side of the globe. If you like Heavenly Pleasures, you’ll probably like Still Life by Louise Penny, the first in a series set in the fictional village of Three Pines in Montreal. Also filled with people you’d like to spend more time with.

Heavenly Pleasures is the second installment in Kerry Greenwood’s Corinna Chapman series.

Beth (Rensselaer NY)

Heavenly Pleasures

Heavenly Pleasures is a chocolate shop in a quaint little town in Australia, and Kerry Greenwood has created a delightful cast of characters in this second installment of the Corinna Chapman series. Corinna has left the world of accounting and has opened her own breadshop. Besides her love of baking, she also loves being a detective when a mystery pops up, especially when it involves her quirky friends, and her lover Daniel.

I found this book to be a delight and couldn't put it down. It is lighthearted (no blood and gore), funny, and down to earth, all at the same time.There should be a warning on the book -- you will absolutely want a fresh slice of bread or a chocolate truffle while you are reading. I opted for the latter and was even more surprised to find some recipes at the end of the book. I think this book will appeal to mystery lovers who like character development and a little lightheartedness, rather than those who want blood and gore. It left me wanting more and I'm off to get the first installment of this series.

Carla (Houston TX)

Made me crave bread and chocolate

At first I was overwhelmed by all the character descriptions the author threw at you in the very beginning but as the book actually introduced the character into the story line it was easier to follow. The main plot of the book was thrown at the reader in the first 20 pages and then not talked about for another 25.

I kept wondering if maybe I was wrong and that wasn’t the key plot. Again as the story continued to develop it made more sense. This is why I always tell my book club members you have to read at least 50-75 pages before you decide whether you like or dislike a book. The author’s darn description of the breads, muffins and the chocolates made me hungry. Made me want to run to Panera Bakery and buy some bread since I don’t make my own. I loved finding the recipes in the back of the book.

I would recommend this book to my friends. The book overall was an enjoyable read. It kind of reminds me of the Diane Mott Davidson Mystery books about Goldie the caterer.

Cathy (Fort Wayne IN)

Hungry to the End

Kerry Greenwood's Heavenly Pleasures is a reading appetite pleaser if you are a fan of mysteries involving solving crimes while the protagonist is cooking, baking and of course eating. The plot is not hard to follow or figure out, but this easy read is humorous, sometimes touching and delicious to the end!

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